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Once upon a time you could get a small android device with good specs. https://www.gsmarena.com/sony_xperia_xz1_compact-8610.php

It's still my favourite phone, even though it's been retired and is only used as an MP3 player with AUX in the garage nowadays. I realize that for most people the phone is now a device to consume media through and that the larger screens are helpful there, but having a smart phone that is fully usable with one hand is still something I miss. Often.

Considering that modern androids have about 85% to 90% of their size as display size then a phone with the size of the xz1 compact should get a screen size of ~5 inches instead of the old 4.6 inches.

With the SoC advancements I don't even feel that the phone would require a flagship SoC to interest me. Put a Snapdragon 6, as much battery as you can fit and an AUX input in it and I'm game.

What would make you guys interested in a smaller phone today?

I've long been a super fan of Minuum Keyboard. I backed the IndieGoGo campaign and then bought it when it was officially released for Android. It's been my daily driver for 11 years.

Everyone has different wants and needs for a keyboard and I was lucky to find mine met in Minuum.

I had this powerful computer in my pocket and felt that it should compute at all times and make my life easier. The sloppy typing model did that for me. I never understood why people wanted a keyboard to replicate that of a typewriter and take up all that real estate, keyboards were supposed to get out of the way, not take up more room.

I dreamed about the machine learning algorithm improving to the point that I would never ever need to open it up to full mode, but when they should've been making improvements in that regard, they started trying to make emoji keyboards.

Unfortunately they couldn't make the company profitable in a way that could sustain them and pay the backers and it fell into disrepair.

Still I persisted. The unparalleled typing speed and efficiency was out of this world and that's all I wanted. An experience designed for mobile that excelled at mobile.

Unfortunately with Android 15 and no update since 2017 I believe, it's now time to say goodbye. The bottom row is inaccessible in the latest iteration of Android.

There was some brief hope last year when one of the developers promised an update should they get time to clean up the code, but it never came to fruition.

The downfall of Minuum was that people prefer familiarity and that sucks as it was a glimpse of the future or what the future could be.

Burn the pyre!

End the stream Dave!

• The Android 15 update for Pixel devices is causing unexpected bricking of Pixel 6 devices.
• Users report their Pixel 6 becoming completely unresponsive, with troubleshooting methods yielding no results.
• The issue might be related to the Private Space on Android 15, but further investigation is needed.

Google Chrome will support Identity Check, an Android feature that forces biometric authentication when your phone has been stolen.

Other than having to make a workaround by creating an auto-syncing script through at least, like, probably 2 other apps... hmm...

Per the GitHub readme:

> This app is discontinued. The last release on Github and F-Droid will happen with the December 2024 Syncthing version. Interactions (issues, PRs) are limited now, and the entire repo will be archived after the last release. Thus all contributions are preserved for any future (re)use. The forum is still open for discussions and questions. I would kindly ask you to refrain from trying to challenge the decision or asking "why-type" questions - I wont engage with them.

> The reason is a combination of Google making Play publishing something between hard and impossible and no active maintenance. The app saw no significant development for a long time and without Play releases I do no longer see enough benefit and/or have enough motivation to keep up the ongoing maintenance an app requires even without doing much, if any, changes.

> Thanks a lot to everyone who ever contributed to this app!

This is extremely disappointing news. I have been using the Syncthing-Fork version, but since it is based on this app, this may be the end for that app as well.

> TL;DR

• Google is working on a Download Manager feature for the Play Store, which could list your recently downloaded apps.
• We managed to activate the feature to give you an early look at the Download Manager.

> We activated the feature in v43.2.16-29, giving us a better look at it and an idea of what it does. The Download Manager within the Google Play Store shows all apps that are currently downloading and all the recently installed apps that you haven’t opened yet. When you open the apps you can see in the list, the app exits the list, giving you an updated view of what you have yet to open. Take a look at the Download Manager in action in the video below:

> https://youtu.be/Rd3IEenFbUk

> Further, you will see the download count of the recent apps and games you have downloaded as a badge at the top of the app details page.

!Download manager in action

> For now, the Download Manager within the Play Store merely lists the apps you have downloaded and not opened yet. It will be handy for people who download multiple apps in one go and forget about opening up.

> This feature is not currently live in the Play Store, and Google hasn’t shared anything about its existence either, so it may or may not be released in the future. We’ll update this article when we learn more.

> OPPO already confirmed that the Find X8 series will be introduced on October 24th, and also said that it will introduce the OPPO Pad 3 Pro, and the OPPO Enco X3 alongside.

> Now it has confirmed that it will introduce a new 120W fast charger, 12000mAh 80W SuperVOOC Power Bank and 50W compact magnetic power bank at the event.

> The 120W GaN charger for the Find X8 series will feature dual-port output capability, supporting 80W+45W power output at the same time.

> The OPPO 80W 12000mAh Flash Charge Power Bank battery in ivory white color features USB-C port and USB-A ports and is expected to support both input and output capabilities via USB-C.

> The OPPO Magnetic charger for the Find X8 series will be just 8.8mm thick, is expected to pack 5000mAh battery.

> There is also 50W wireless charger which should support both Apple and Android devices, in addition to charging OPPO Find X8 series at 50W wirelessly.

A leak of the OnePlus 13's design shows off a wood grain look and flatter edges in a slight update to the look and feel.

Android 15 adds a new security feature called Failed Authentication Lock. Here's how it protects your sensitive data from thieves.

Ahead of a rollout starting in November, Oppo has revealed ColorOS 15 with some big UI changes, but also a lot of… let’s say “inspiration” from iOS.

> Of all the apps you can install on your new Android phone, a solid app launcher can be the biggest transformation in your user experience, unlocking depths of customization most OEM-provided solutions are only starting to fathom. Talk to any enthusiast who's watched the launcher scene, and they may point you to older, reliable options like Nova Launcher and Smart Launcher as a good starting point.

> Smart Launcher is around 12 years old, and that's a long time to keep a passion project up and running. We blocked some quality time with the app's creator, Vincenzo Colucci, to understand his perspective on what it takes to stay relevant as an older Android launcher, especially since the app segment is more competitive now.

> Samsung is working on a new AI experience for its devices that will help you use your phone without ever accessing the Settings menu.

> Google's giving Android users an extra tool to keep their phones safe with the mandatory biometric security of Identity Check.

Can one rant about Wear OS here since it's technically still Android?

When Samsung was making watches on Tizen, they released products like Frontier (boasting upto 3 day battery life), original Galaxy Watch (boasting upto 4 days battery life). Cue they switched to Wear OS with GW4 and with the 40mm variant, the battery life doggedly remained at a pathetic 1 day with AOD on.

Even with release of newer generations like Ultra, they are barely hitting 3 days with ~590mAh battery. Why is Wear OS such a battery hog?

I own a Galaxy Watch 6 and the watch OS uses like 6 GB storage and 1+ GB in perpetual RAM. Is it really so that displaying time and running couple of apps in the background takes more memory than GNOME 46?

> Alongside the Android 15 update, Google is rolling out a bevy of new Pixel-exclusive features as part of its latest Pixel Drop release.

New features for Pixel phones in the October '24 Pixel Drop

| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | --------------------------------------- | ---------------- | -------------- | ----------- | ------- | ----------- | ------- | -------- | ---------- | ----------- | ------- | -------- | ----------- | ------- | -------- | | Feature | Pixel 9 Pro Fold | Pixel 9 Pro XL | Pixel 9 Pro | Pixel 9 | Pixel 8 Pro | Pixel 8 | Pixel 8a | Pixel Fold | Pixel 7 Pro | Pixel 7 | Pixel 7a | Pixel 6 Pro | Pixel 6 | Pixel 6a | | Night Sight for Instagram | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | ✓ | ✓ | | | Underwater Photography & Video | | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | | | | | | | | | | | Audio Magic Eraser | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | | | | | | | | Astrophotography | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Object Temperature Sensor | | ✓ | ✓ | | ✓ | | | | | | | | | | | Pollen Data Block | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Pixel Weather App | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Next Gen Call Screen | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Widget Discovery | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Adaptive Vibration | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | | | | Gemini Extensions for Pixel Screenshots | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | | | | | | | | | | | Notification Dismissals | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Cast to nearby devices | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | ✓ | | | ✓ | ✓ | | | ✓ | | |

---

New features for Pixel watches in the October '24 Pixel Drop

| | | | | | ----------------------- | ------------- | ------------- | ----------- | | Feature | Pixel Watch 3 | Pixel Watch 2 | Pixel Watch | | Contacts App upgrade | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Emoji email reactions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | Loss of Pulse Detection | ✓ | | |

> Google is rolling out Android 15 to Pixel devices, bringing new features like Private Space, built-in app archiving support, and more.

Which Pixel devices are getting the Android 15 update?

The Android 15 update is rolling out to the following Pixel devices starting today:

• Google Pixel 6
• Google Pixel 6 Pro
• Google Pixel 6a
• Google Pixel 7
• Google Pixel 7 Pro
• Google Pixel 7a
• Google Pixel Fold
• Google Pixel 8
• Google Pixel 8 Pro
• Google Pixel 8a
• Google Pixel 9
• Google Pixel 9 Pro
• Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
• Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
• Google Pixel Tablet

Battery and charging

• Fixed an issue where the device occasionally restarted unexpectedly \[2]
• General improvements in charging and battery usage \[3]

Biometric method

• Fixed an issue where face unlocking did not work reliably under certain conditions \[8]

Bluetooth

• Fixed an issue where connecting to certain Bluetooth devices or Bluetooth accessories was occasionally not possible \[7]

Camera

• General improvements to camera reliability under certain conditions \[7]

Display and graphics

• Fixed an issue where a gray shadow appeared on the inner display under certain conditions \[10]
• General improvements to the reliability and performance of certain system apps \[7]
• General improvements in display reliability \[9]

Framework

• Fixed an issue where apps could occasionally fail to access media files \[7]

System

• Fixed an issue that affected system reliability and performance under certain conditions \[1]

Telephony

• Fixed an issue that affected the reliability and performance of adaptive connectivity services \[6]
• General improvements in network connection reliability and performance under certain conditions \[5,9]

User interface

• Fixed an issue where Android icons were not displayed correctly under certain conditions \[1]
• Fixed an issue where the animation was not displayed correctly when launching Google Assistant on the lock screen \[7]
• Fixed an issue where the center button would stop responding under certain conditions \[3]
• Fixed issue with incoming call notifications under certain conditions \[3]
• Fixed an issue that occurred with layouts and animations under certain conditions during transitions \[7]
• Fixed an issue that affected the view and reliability of transitions between certain UI elements and animations \[3]
• General improvements to the view and reliability of transitions between certain UI elements and animations \[1]

What new features are available in the Android 15 update?

#1 - Private Space

#2 - App archiving support

#3 - More secure screen shares

#4 - Predictive back animations

#5 - App Pairs

#6 - Taskbar pinning

#7 - Edge-to-edge mode by default

#8 - Home Controls screensaver

#9 - Redesigned volume panel

#10 - Bluetooth auto-on

#11 - Additional security for sensitive settings

#12 - Color contrast settings

#13 - Cast volume controls for speaker groups

#14 - Richer widget previews

#15 - Single tap sign-ins with Passkeys

#16 - More security around factory resets

After six major previews and betas, Google is ready to launch Android 15 for Pixel devices today.

With the launch of Android 15, Google is rolling out the October 2024 Pixel Drop. Besides the slight naming tweak, there are new features for all devices, while a lot of things introduced on the Pixel 9 are coming to older devices.

more Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition rumor photo from Evan Blass.

Original Source seems deleted: https://x.com/evleaks/status/1845171486811697332

> People ask why an app is large on Twitter and we at Emerge break it down. It's kind of become our bat signal.

> !XXX

> !XXX

> Usually, we break down iOS apps, as iOS apps appear to be an order of magnitude larger than their Android counterparts. Almost always, someone points to Android's size vs. iOS.

!MEOW

> At face value, they're right! The size we see in the iOS App Store is almost always a multiple of the Android counterpart in the Google Play Store.

> But what if I told you that Android app sizes are larger than they might immediately appear?

> In this blog, we'll explain why Android apps are larger than people think, where size comes from on both platforms, and whether iOS apps are really that much bigger than Android.

> FlorisBoard is a free and open-source keyboard for Android 7.0+ devices. It aims at being modern, user-friendly and customizable while fully respecting your privacy. Currently in early-beta state.

New update includes:

• Major rework of emoji suggestions
• Major rework of emoji history
• Rework inline autofill suggestions from password managers
• handful of other changes listed in the link above